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Thanks everyone. I now understand. And thanks for providing the links @Ray.....:)
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Thanks everyone. I now understand. And thanks for providing the links @Ray.....:)

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Just a final note here:<br />
Because some licensing problems, php's default interface with mysql databases is no more the one named mysql, but a different one named mysql<b><i>i</i></b>
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Just a final note here:
Because some licensing problems, php's default interface with mysql databases is no more the one named mysql, but a different one named mysqli

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Varun,<br />
<br />
You should close this question now, allocating points to ansxer(s)
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Varun,

You should close this question now, allocating points to ansxer(s)

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This is something I am trying to grasp my head around.<br />
Okay, so Apache simply servers files on a web server to clients. I fully understand that. But then if you install PHP, suddenly PHP code will be interpreted before those files are served by Apache. Then you install MySQL, and all of a sudden PHP can work directly with MySQL.<br />
<br />
What is really done in the installation process that allows these three things to work so closely together? If Apache and PHP are separate programs, then how do they both work together on serving files?<br />
<br />
Moreover, I understand that PHP is used to generate dynamic pages, but I've also heard people saying we're running a PHP based application.
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This is something I am trying to grasp my head around.
Okay, so Apache simply servers files on a web server to clients. I fully understand that. But then if you install PHP, suddenly PHP code will be interpreted before those files are served by Apache. Then you install MySQL, and all of a sudden PHP can work directly with MySQL.

What is really done in the installation process that allows these three things to work so closely together? If Apache and PHP are separate programs, then how do they both work together on serving files?

Moreover, I understand that PHP is used to generate dynamic pages, but I've also heard people saying we're running a PHP based application.

How do Apache, PHP, and MySQL All Work Together?

PHP is a widely-used server-side scripting language especially suited for web development, powering tens of millions of sites from Facebook to personal WordPress blogs. PHP is often paired with the MySQL relational database, but includes support for most other mainstream databases. By utilizing different Server APIs, PHP can work on many different web servers as a server-side scripting language.

MySQL is an open source, relational database management system that runs as a server providing multi-user access to a number of databases. Acquired by Oracle in 2009, it is frequently used in combination with PHP installations, powering most of the WordPress installations.

MySQL Server

The Apache HTTP Server is a secure, efficient and extensible server that provides HTTP services in sync with the current HTTP standards. Typically Apache is run on a Unix-like operating system, but it is available for a wide variety of operating systems, including Linux, Novell NetWare, Mac OS-X and Windows. Released under the Apache License, Apache is open-source software.